Reel for coiling strip material



Jan. 31, 1956 c. J. LEWIS ETAL 2,733,023

REEL FOR COILING STRIP MATERIAL Filed Feb. 20, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l uvr Ezvroxg llzar/es I [may BY Jul/[115E016 TTUP/VEY Jan. 31, 1956 c. J. LEWIS ETAL 2,733,023

REEL FOR COILING STRIP MATERIAL Filed Feb. 20, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,MIIIIIIIHIII ll" Wm, WWI" INVENTORS (fair/es [laws B flaz ai 15f Paola zzmz KWZM fITTOIP/VE) Jan. 31, 1956 c. J. LEWIS ETAL 2,733,023

REEL FOR COILING STRIP MATERIAL Filed Feb. 20, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v t: w F

INVENTORS (hark s 61015 wild P001! HTTOIFNEY and accompanying drawings.

United States Patent Office 2,733,023 Fatented Jan. 31, 1956 2,733,023 REEL FOR COILING STRIP MATERIAL Charles J. Lewis, Warren, and David E. Poole, Newton Falls, Ohio, assignors to Republic Steel Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey Application February 20, 1953, Serial No. 337,942 '9 Claims. (Cir 24278) The'present invention relates to a reel mechanism for coiling strip materials. The invention is illustrated herein as applied to a reel mechanism for coiling hot rolled steel strip as it comes from the rolling mill. The invention is of particular advantage'in the reeling of this material, although many features .of the improved apparatus are of more generally utility in connection with the rolling or processing of other materials, for example, cold rolled steel strip, non-ferrous metal strip, and even non-metallic strip materials.

Paddle type reels of the prior art produce a coil of steel that has an inwardly projecting tongue or flap which in most cases is of substantial length, this being the part that is bent around the paddle to attach the strip to the reel. This inwardly projecting flap extends substantially radially toward or even across the axis of the coil and in many cases interferes with the mounting of the coils on the pay-off reels of subsequent processing equipment. This interference is so severe that it is common to remove the flap by a torch cutting process before the coil can be unwound for the next manufacturing step.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a reel mechanism of the paddle type including improved mechanism for clamping the strip end to the reel. A further object is to provide reel mechanism of the type described in which the strip end can be inserted and firmly attached while the strip continues in motion.

Another object is to provide a reel which will seize the end of a steel strip without slowing the forward motion of the strip, and which will produce a coil having only a small internal flap projecting at a small angle with the inner periphery of the strip.

A further object is to provide a reel mechanism of the type described which is structurally simple, rugged,

and has a minimum number of moving parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification In the drawings,

Fig. l is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a complete reel mechanism embodying the present invention and the driving mechanism therefor;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line Il-II of Fig. 3, and similar to Fig. l, but on a much larger scale, showing the reel head and its associated parts; i i

Fig. 3 is a left hand elevational view of the reel head of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken generally on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2, but on an enlarged scale and with certain parts removed;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the gripping bar, with its center section broken away;

Fig. 6 is a left hand elevational view of the gripping bar of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the reel head assembly of Figs. 2 and 3, with certain parts broken away;

Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional views taken on the line operating positions;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevational view, similar to a portion of Fig. 3, on an enlarged scale and with certain parts removed; and

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line XI-XI of Fig. 3, on an enlarged scale.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a reel stand 1 including a frame 2 on which a sleeve 3 is journaled'in suitable bearings. A gear 4 is fixed to'the periphery of the sleeve 3 and mates with a gear 5, driven through a suitable coupling by a motor 6. At its left hand end as it appears in Fig. l, the sleeve 3 is provided with a mounting flange 7 on which is bolted a reel head generally indicated at 8.

A rod 9 is slidably mounted within the sleeve 3 and has its right hand end connected through suitable coupling mechanism to the piston of a pneumatic cylinder 10. The left hand end of rod 9 is provided with a shoulder against which a stripper plate 11 is held by means of anut 9a.

The reel head 8 and the stripper plate 11 may be rotated together by means of the motor 6 and the stripper plate 11 may be moved longitudinally relative to the reel head by means of the pneumatic cylinder '10.

As best seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 7, the reel head 8 comprises a base 812 and four projecting paddles 12, 13, 14 and 15, shaped to resemble segments of a thick-walled cylinder. The stripper plate 11 comprises a central hub 11a from which three spider arms 11b extend radially outwardly to an annular stripper disk 110. Each of the paddles 12, l3, l4; and 15 is provided on its radially outer surface with a number of projecting ridges 12a, 13a, 14a and 15a. The reel head is designed to rotate clockwise when viewed in Fig. 3 of the drawings. On the leading faces of the paddles 12, 13 and 15 there are provided cam projections 12b, 13b and 15b, for a purpose to be described below. it will be noted that each of these cam projections constitutes a plane cam surface sloping in a generally circumferential or helical direction (clockwise, in the view of Fig. 3) from a radial line near the plate 11 (Fig. 2) to a locality spaced from the edge of the next adjacent paddle member by a distance suificient to clear one of the arms 11b of the plate 11.

A gripping bar 16 disposed parallel to the axis of the reel is provided at its opposite ends with pivot pins 16a and 16b. The pivot pin 16:: is journaled in a bearing 17 (Fig. 4) formed in the base 8a of the reel'head 8. Pivot pin 16b is journaled in a bearing 20 (Fig. 10) formed adjacent the outer end of the paddle 14. A plate 18, bolted to the end of paddle 14, holds the gripping bar 16 against axial movement. The gripping bar 16 is movable between two angular positions relative to the underside of the next paddle 15, namely, the releasing position shown in Fig. 8 and the gripping position illustrated in Fig. 9.

The gripping bar 16 is cut away adjacent the pivot pin 16b, as shown at 16d, for convenience in the formation of the pivot pin. After the pin is formed, a square rod 2i (Fig. 6) is welded in place to close the outer side of the cut away portion 16d. The rod 21 providesa smooth entering surface for the leading end 22 of the integrally attached to the inner end of the gripping,

bar 16. The stripping plate 11 isrotatable angularly on the reel head 8 between the driving position shown in Fig. 9, wherein each arm 11b is engaged by the leading edge of a paddle, and the free position shown in Fig. 8, wherein each arm 11b is rotated counter-clockwise with respect to the adjacent following paddle.

The peripheral surfaces of the apertures in the stripping plate 11 through which the paddles project are provided with inwardly projecting ridges 19, for a purpose to be described below.

Operation When it is desired to start winding a strip on the reel, the parts are moved to (or will have been left in) the positions illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. In Fig. 7, it may be seen that the end 22 of a steel strip is being inserted in a wide-mouthed slot 23 between and defined by the paddle 15 and the gripping bar 16. This insertion is made with the reel stationary but with the steel strip moving forward and suitably guided by well known mechanisms. As soon as the leading end of the strip is inserted to approximately the position shown in Fig. 7, the motor 6 is started and is controlled by suitable mechanism so that its speed is coordinated with the speed of the rolling mill motors which are advancing the strip 22 to the reel. Such coordinated control mechanism is well known in the art and need not be described here. When the motor 6 starts it drives the reel head 8 and the paddles positively clockwise as viewed in Figs. 3, 7, 8 and 9. The stripper head 11 remains momentarily stationary because of its inertia and since it is not rigidly connected to the reel head. Consequently, as the reel head rotates, the end of the gripping bar 16 rides upon the cam surface 11c until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 9, where it may be seen that the upper side of the gripping bar 16 is holding the end of steel strip 22 against the paddle 15. The parts remain in this relative position as long as the reel head continues to be driven by its motor. When the strip issuing from the rolling mill is completely coiled, the motor is deenergized and then acts as a brake on the reel head. The stripper plate 11 continues to rotate under the influence of its own inertia and moves angularly ahead of the reel head so that the parts assume the relative angular positions shown in Fig. 8 and the gripping bar 16 releases the end of the steel strip 22.

After the coiled strip stops rotating, it is removed from the reel head by actuating pneumatic cylinder 10 to push the stripper plate 11 to the left as viewed in Fig. 1, thereby forcing the coiled strip off the reel.

It may sometimes happen that the stripping plate 11 remains in its gripping position (Fig. 9) when the coil strip comes to rest, so that the cam surface 110 holds the gripping bar 16 in engagement with the end of the steel strip 22. In that event, the relative positions or" the stripping plate 11 and the reel head 8 will be such that the cam projections 12b, 13b and 15b are aligned with the spider arms 1112 of the reel head. Under such conditions, when the pneumatic cylinder 10 is actuated, the spider arms 11b as they move outward encounter the cam projections 12b, 13b and 15b and are rotated by them in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 9 to bring the spider arms .into alignment with the spaces between the paddles. This angular motion of the stripper plate rotates the cam surface 111: to the position in which gripping bar 16 frees the end of the steel strip 22. Consequently, the cam mechanism for actuating the gripping bar 16 is positively moved to its releasing position when the stripping plate is actuated to remove the coiled steel from the reel.

As mentioned above, theperipheral surfaces of the apertures in the stripping plate 11 through which the paddles project are provided with inwardly projecting ridges '19. These ridges 19 extend between and cooperate with the projecting ridges 12a, 13a, 14a and 15a to ensure that the inner layer or wrap of the strip material is removed positively "and smoothly and with as little damage as pos- 4 sible. The spider arms 11b of the stripper plate also cooperate in accomplishing this result.

The strip wound on the reel head is actually wound over the outer surfaces of the ridges 12a, 13a, 14a and 15a, which thereby determines the effective outside diameter of the reel. These surfaces are all very slightly tapered so that the effective outside diameter is smaller at the outer end of the reel than at the inner end, near the base 8a of the reel head 8. This tapering construction of the ridges allows the coiled strip to slide off the reel head readily when the stripper plate 11 is actuated to unload the coiled strip.

We claim:

1. A reel for coiling strip material, comprising a reel head including a base rotatable about a central axis and a plurality of circumferentially spaced paddles projecting from the base parallel to the axis and shaped to resemble segments of a thick-walled hollow cylinder, a gripping bar substantially equal in length to said paddles, said bar being pivoted at its respective ends on said base and on one of said paddles for movement about an axis parallel to said paddles between a gripping position adjacent a second one of the paddles and a releasing position spaced from said second paddle, said bar and said second paddle cooperating to grip or release the end of a strip of material to be wound on the reel, and means operable to move said bar between said positions.

2. A reel for coiling strip material comprising rotatable reel means having coil-receiving structure lying in a predetermined generally circular path, said reel means comprising a base and a plurality of circumferentially spaced paddles projecting from rotation of the reel means and shaped to resemble segments of a thick walled hollow cylinder, two adjacent paddles being arranged to provide between them a widemounted slot interiorly shaped to receive a strip end projecting inwardly of the reel at a small acute angle to that portion of the aforesaid path which is ahead of the wide-mouthed slot in the direction of rotation, said slot having a strip-receiving surface along one of said two paddles and a clamping member supported at its respective ends on said base and on the other of said two paddles and movable toward said surface to clamp a strip end in the position of said small acute angle, and means responsive to initiation of rotation of said reel means in said predetermined direction for moving said clamping member into clamping position.

3. A reel for coiling strip material, comprising a rotatable reel-supporting shaft, a reel head including a base fixed on said shaft for rotation therewith and including a plurality of circumferentially spaced paddles projecting from said base parallel to the shaft axis, a gripping bar pivoted adjacent one edge on one of said paddles for angular movement about an axis parallel to and spaced from the shaft axis, said gripping bar being movable between a gripping position wherein it grips between its other edge and an adjacent paddle the end of a strip to be'wound on said reel, and a releasing position wherein said other edge is spaced from said adjacent paddle and releases its grip on the strip, a cam member mounted for limited rotary movement with respect to said reel head between a free position to move said gripping driving position wherein it is drivingly engaged by said reel head and rotates forwardly therewith and a free position wherein it is angularly ahead of the reel head in'the direction of reel head rotation, said cam member having a cam surface operatively engaging said gripping bar, said cam surface being effective when said cam member .is in its driving position to move said gripping bar forcibly to its gripping position and when said cam member is in its bar to its releasing position, said cam member being moved by inertia to said driving position when rotation of the shaft isinitiated and to said free position when rotation of the shaft is terminated.

4. A reel for coiling strip material, comprising a rotatsaid base parallel to the axis of able reel-supporting shaft, a reel head including a base fixed on said shaft for rotation therewith and including a plurality of circumferentially spaced paddles projecting from said base parallel to the shaft axis, a gripping bar pivoted adjacent one edge on one of said paddles for angular movement about an axis parallel to and spaced from the shaft axis, said gripping bar being movable between a gripping position wherein it grips between its other edge and an adjacent paddle the end of a strip to be wound on said reel, and a releasing position wherein said other edge is spaced from said adjacent paddle and releases its grip on the strip, a stripper plate having a hub mounted on said shaft concentrically within said paddles, a spider having arms extending radially outward from the hub between the paddles and an annular stripper disk supported by the spider arms outside the paddles, said stripper plate being mounted for endwise movement on said reel head between an inner reeling position and an outer unloading position to remove coiled strip therefrom, said stripper plate also being mounted for limited rotary movement with respect to said reel head between a driving position wherein it is drivingly engaged by said reel head and rotates forwardly therewith and a free position wherein it is angularly ahead of the reel head in the direction of reel head rotation, a cam formed on the stripper plate and operatively engaging said gripping bar, said cam being effective when said stripper plate is in its driving position to move said gripping bar forcibly to its grippingposition and when said stripper plate is in its free position to move said gripping bar to its releasing position, said stripper plate being moved by inertia to said driving position when rotation of the shaft is initiated and to said free position when rotation of the shaft is ter minated.

5. A reel for coiling metal strip as defined in claim 4,

including power operated means for moving said stripper plate endwise, and cam surface means formed on at least one of said paddles and effective if said stripper plate starts to move endwise from its reeling position while in'its driving angular position to engage said stripper plate and positively force it to its free angular position so that the strip end is released during said endwise movement of the stripper plate.

6. A reel for coiling metal strip as defined in claim 4,

including inwardly projecting ridges on the inside of said stripper disk, and outwardly projecting ridges on the outside of the paddles and extending between the ridges on the stripper disk, said ridges overlapping radially and cooperate to ensure smooth removal of the innermost wrap of strip material by the stripper plate.

7. A reel for coiling metal strip as defined in claim 4, including outwardly projecting ridges on the outside of the paddles and tapering slightly so that the effective outside diameter of the reel decreases towardthe outer end of the paddles, thereby facilitating withdrawal of coiled strip from the reel head.

8. A reel for coiling strip material, comprising a reel head including a base rotatable about a central axis and a plurality of circumferentially spaced paddles projecting from the base parallel to the axis, said paddles defining slots between them, a stripper plate mounted concentrically with said base and comprising a stripper disk outside the paddles and radial arms extending through certain of said slots, said stripper plate being movable endwise of i the reel head to remove coiled strip material therefrom, one of said slots being adapted to ,receive the end of a strip to be wound on said reel, a gripping bar in said one slot and movable between a gripping position wherein it clamps said strip against one of said paddles and a releasing position wherein it is spaced from said one paddle, and inertia operated means for moving said bar to said gripping position when rotation of the reel head is initiated and to said releasing position when rotation of the reel head is terminated.

9. A reel for coiling strip material as defined in claim 8, wherein said inertia operated means comprises said stripper plate, means supporting said stripper plate for limited angular movement with respect to said reel head under the influence of its own inertia, a cam on said stripper plate, and a follower for said cam on said gripping bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,515,728 Clark Nov. 18, 1924 1,859,294 Fork May 24, 1932 2,211,472 Klein et al. Aug. 13, 1940 2,264,872 Bryn Dec. 2, 1941 

